Nothing like a little intimidation to liven up my ongoing meditation on a just society. To be threatened with e-mail violence by a Marine Corps major (ret.) steeped in righteousness — wow, how deliciously personal and unfair. What a lovely mixture of bile and adrenaline it sets to bubbling. What a temptation it creates to respond in kind.

Instead, I’ve decided to make this conversation — about violence, ignorance, idealism — public. This is bigger than both of us, sir.
I stand accused, for writing a column defending a young Marine deserter who fled apparent criminal abuse at the hands of fellow Marines (returning Iraq vets who acted as though they were haunted by the demons of PTSD), of “disrupting the good order and discipline” of the Corps, and of an almost treasonous failure, judging by the tone of the letter and the proposed punishment, to appreciate how good I’ve got it:

“It is the likes of men . . . you belittle and criticize that provide you with the privilege of the free speech you so eagerly abuse.”

OK, there’s no nice, gentle way to put this, Major, but it’s time to shatter the myth that sustains far too many Americans:

Most U.S. military and quasi-military operations of the past century-plus have been brutally stupid and myopic, racist, cynical and wantonly destructive; they have served the interests not of the public but of various multinational corporations, from United Fruit to British Petroleum to Halliburton, under the banner of the dogma du jour (Manifest Destiny, anti-Communism, war on terror); far from protecting your freedom or mine, Major, they have promoted global poverty and instability and generated an undercurrent of intense anti-Americanism that, as the 9/11 attacks demonstrated, make us anything but safe; and the fear such attacks spawn are the greatest threat to such liberal “privileges” as free speech, the primary abuse of which is to threaten with violence those who still insist on exercising it.

Marine Corps Maj. Gen Smedley Butler, a two-time Congressional Medal of Honor winner who led U.S. actions in Latin America in the early part of the 20th century, famously lamented at the end of his career: “I spent most of my time being a high class muscle-man for Big Business, for Wall Street and for the Bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. . . . I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street.”

With the somber anniversary of 9/11 looming, Major, we would do well to remember our role in the destabilization of the Middle East and the opening of the Pandora’s box of Islamic fundamentalism.

Most Americans haven’t the faintest idea who Mohammad Mossadegh was, which is a pity, not simply because he was a decent soul with an absolute faith in democracy, who was prime minister of Iran from 1951 until he was ousted in a covert U.S. operation in 1953, but also because . . . my God, what damnable ignorance on our part, and how it feeds the worst sort of patriotism: comic-book patriotism, I’m tempted to call it. In the latest issue, America battles the Axis of Evil.

Back in 1953, we were fighting Godless Communism, and there were Communists everywhere — under our beds, in the State Department and throughout the so-called Third World, where they were particularly easy to spot because they were popular and often democratically elected, and they talked about nationalizing their nations’ resources. Such were the crimes of Jacobo Arbenz in Guatemala, Salvador Allende in Chile and, of course, Mossadegh (who threatened British Petroleum’s oil monopoly), all of whom, to great national trauma, were unseated by U.S. black ops coming to the rescue of multinational corporations about to lose their entitlements.

And all of these democratically elected leaders were replaced by bloodthirsty thugs, who brought decades of dark-age repression to their nations. Mossadegh was replaced by the Shah, father and son, whose quarter century of bloody rule ended when the ayatollahs, with their virulent hatred of the West, seized control. Remembering what happened to Mossadegh, they considered the United States the Great Satan.

Our murder of Iranian democracy, in short, led to the rise of radical Islam, which spread across the Middle East. The 1979 seizure of U.S. diplomats in Teheran “inspired Muslim fanatics around the world, including in neighboring Afghanistan, where the Taliban gave sanctuary to militants who carried out devastating attacks against the United States on Sept. 11, 2001,” writes Stephen Kinzer in his excellent book “Overthrow.”

So, Major, put down your whip and pick up a book, sir. The simple-minded violence with which you threaten your enemies has brought the world to a state of acute crisis. You’ve been told you were defending freedom, but you’ve been serving fools.

THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE. THE LAST TIME BUSH TOLD THE TRUTH WAS WHEN HE TOLD A REPORTER JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO THAT SADDAM HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH 9/11... MY GOD. WAKE UP... YOU HAVE A CHRONIC LIAR IN THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE WHOLE WORLD DOES NOT BELIEVE A WORD HE SAYS. PRETTY SOON THIS NATION WILL FEEL THE SAME.

And, of course, 911 and the corporatist/neocon plan is not noted inasmuch as this military person would discount everything else argued simply because most people cannot countenance information that so strongly contradicts their weltanshaaungs. I understand that. But it should be remembered that when you go to trying to comprehend just what is going on, you have to include the corporatist/media manipulation. And the realization that those 'folks' will stoop very low to manipulate events and that includes the false flag of 9/11.

Thanks Bob for this sad, brilliant and compassionate article. I wish we in the US had thousands just like you, who can articulate the side of America you don't find in the history books.I've read that Mossadegh is still beloved in Iran and Iranians go to his little house like a holy shrine. We have our heroes like him, John, Martin and Bobby..Paul Wellstone..all killed by the same people. Fair elections are a primary concern now..but the people resposible for the death of good leaders will still be at work.I want good govt. that is for the people, not just US but our brothers and sisters all over the world. If we had it, I don't think terroism would exist.

Sorry, major, but I've been saying, to "comic book" patriots like the banned HCOCDR, who constantly said, "We're fighting for your freedom", "No, you're not!"...is what I always said to them, always adding "sorry, but it's true."

I totally agree, that our military has now just become a pawn and servant of corporate America...and Bushco. It's actually very smart. They are using the military for their reasons, and OUR tax money to finance it. We all know it, what can we do about it? The people who have the time and means, the people who are supposed to be stopping this on the frontline, have abandoned us. The Democrats and all opposing parties are supposed to be the frontline against what the Republicans are doing. Keep serving them and dying for them and living the lie. Not me, because I'm not stupid.

Thanks, Bob Kohler, for telling it like it is. You have a knack - I've seen it time and again in your columns - of honestly and courageously getting to the essence of things in a few skilfully chosen words.

I believe the nightmare we are currently living in follows the logic of the corporate/military usurpation of our national ideals and direction during the last 50+ years, which has been the tragedy of our lifetimes. The sooner it becomes public knowledge, no matter how painful, the better. We can be sad, disillusioned, hurt...but all knowledge of reality is the raw material to remake democratic society --- and it has to be done.

- A rare commodity available usually only on the black market which people often get for free or donation only. Rarity is due to active suppression and vested interest in misinformation.

- Telling truth can be very expensive because some people feel it threatens their agenda or their very existence and might try to make you pay dearly for speaking it. Hence there is a pervading fear of speaking truth increasing its rarity. The price varies but its value remains infinite.

For me, a major turning point was when I heard about the mass killings we did in the Phillippines in the Spanish American war. American history looked a lot different to me after I read about that. You know, you tended to think 'slavery and the indian wars were bad, but we did better as a nation after that'. Did we?

One day we're not going to be fighting each other while they rake in their bloody monetary rewards. Enough is enough, and the men on the front line are taking it the most, like they alway have. It must make you cringe to see these bastards use the service men as props all the time!

There are some out there that are trying. Max Cleland, (who lost to voting machines, and should still be a senator), was on Keith Olberman's show tonight and he knows exactly what's up. He's going to fight for Jack Murtha who is about to be "swiftboated" for having the guts the rest of the Democrats lack!